Pokémon is a reality-enhanced pet development and battle mobile game jointly developed by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Google. In China, it's also called Pokémon. As for why it's called that, those who've played LeafGreen and Emerald should know the reason well.
Jiang Hai hates Japan—well, to be precise, he hates its culture, customs, politics, and people. But there are very few things in the world one can truly ignore. People are like this: for certain things they enjoy, they conveniently overlook their origins.
Take Jiang Hai for example. Despite his experiences with many women, he still occasionally watches movies, and there's nothing wrong with that. He enjoys anime too. While Naruto and Bleach aren't his favorites, he loves One Piece. He also appreciates older titles like Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, Slam Dunk, and even the newer hit One Punch Man.
When it comes to video games, it's fair to say that almost no one hasn't played a Japanese title. The list is endless: Pro Evolution Soccer, Silent Hill, Capcom's Mega Man, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Dino Crisis, Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Sega's Total War, House of the Dead, Sonic the Hedgehog—and many more. While many Chinese loudly profess their dislike of Japan, nearly all of them indulge in Japanese products. Even Bailing (a nickname) has nights out with Japanese drinks at the bar.
The same goes for students and diaosi (self-deprecating slang for "losers") like the younger Jiang Hai, who often lived on instant noodles. Even Master Kong, a leading brand of instant noodles, is majority-owned by Japanese companies.
China's online shopping and messaging platforms? Nearly all of them received Japanese venture capital when they started. And Japanese cars dominate China's ownership rates.
So, while boycotts of Japanese products are often shouted, the reality is that people still rely on them every day.
Jiang Hai used to be a fiery "angry youth," but these days he's much calmer—though his distaste for Japan hasn't disappeared. If necessary, he'll still use Japanese products, but if there's an alternative from Europe or America, he'll choose that instead. But really, what's the difference between American and Japanese products in the end?
In the eyes of many Chinese, Japan is "evil." By that same logic, America—China's rival—is also "evil," and so is Europe. The only "non-evil" nations left are perhaps countries like Pakistan. Of course, that's half a joke.
What isn't a joke is that Jiang Hai has become somewhat addicted to this game.
Released on July 7th in Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), it instantly exploded into a worldwide phenomenon, setting dating apps and social media ablaze.
At first, Jiang Hai ignored it—he rarely left home anyway—but after Google sent him a special copy, he realized he was becoming hooked, just like he had been back in junior high.
For Chinese kids, Pokémon is a household name. Most know it from the anime, but the truth is the anime was created to promote the game. Like Digimon, Pokémon started as a game, not the other way around.
Jiang Hai had played Pokémon before. Back in school, his family couldn't afford game consoles, so he borrowed classmates' devices. Later, with a computer, he used emulators to relive the experience.
This new game, however, was unlike the classics. You couldn't just play at home—you had to go outside. Linked to Google Maps, it required players to walk around in real life to catch Pokémon with Poké Balls, earning experience and items called "lollipops," which were used to level up and evolve them.
Unlike in the old games, you didn't need to weaken Pokémon in battle before catching them—here it was simply a matter of luck.
Gyms served as battle hubs, where players could join factions and fight to become Gym Leaders. The map was also full of supply points, where players could collect free Poké Balls and items.
Jiang Hai, of course, invited his friends in China to play too. But most areas in China were already "zoned" out, likely because Google services aren't allowed. Still, some regions—like the three northeastern provinces and parts of Inner Mongolia—remained open. According to his friend Xu Wei, cities had Pokémon, but only the downtown areas had Gyms or supply points. Outside the city? Nothing at all.
Domestic zones might open one day, but Jiang Hai didn't care—he was enjoying himself in the U.S.
Every morning, he'd wake up and wander his manor with his phone, the usual lazy Jiang Hai nowhere to be seen. This surprised Qi Jie and the others, but after curiosity got the better of them, they downloaded the game too. Soon, Jiang Hai wasn't the only one addicted.
The manor became their playground. Jiang Hai's luck was especially good. The game's realism was key—Water Pokémon near water, Ground Pokémon near mountains, Grass Pokémon in fields. Jiang Hai's estate had it all: grasslands, forests, and the ocean. While it lacked Gyms and supply points, it still offered a rich variety of Pokémon. Plus, Jiang Hai had a bonus client directly from Google, including a special egg guaranteed to hatch into a Dratini.
Lately, he had been catching many Pokémon, with Charmander as his main pet. But Charmander remained a challenge—no spawn points near the manor. Instead, the nearby waters produced plenty of Squirtles. Eventually, Jiang Hai evolved one all the way into Blastoise.
He also caught Eevee, Psyduck, Shellder, Zubat, Pidgey (later Pidgeot), Rattata, Abra, Caterpie, and more. Most of these weaker Pokémon weren't to his taste. For now, he focused on his main team: Blastoise, Golbat (evolved from Zubat), and Eevee.
Eevee was a wildcard—it required 25 lollipops to evolve, but the evolution path was random. Jiang Hai hoped for a Lightning-type Pokémon, since he lacked anything like Pikachu. So far, the only Electric-types he'd caught were Magnemite, and they weren't very strong.
Pidgeot, while not particularly powerful, was useful for catching other Pokémon. Still, Jiang Hai's true long-term goals were Dratini and Charmander—though spawn points for them remained elusive.
Despite that frustration, he was having a blast. That morning, after breakfast, he left with a fully charged power bank, followed by Xiao Huang and Xiao Bai. Soon after, Qi Jie and the others also strolled the manor, phones in hand. They weren't as invested as Jiang Hai, but with nothing else to do, it was still a pleasant way to pass the time.
But as Jiang Hai wandered, his phone suddenly rang. The game screen disappeared. He sighed, checked the caller ID, and frowned—an unfamiliar number.
"Hello? Who's this?" he asked, half expecting an insurance salesperson.
"Uh, is this Jiang Hai?" came a hesitant woman's voice.
"It's me. Who are you?" Jiang Hai was puzzled. The voice was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"It's me, Xia Yuan." The voice hesitated again before identifying itself.
"Xia Yuan? Oh, hello. You haven't contacted me in so long. Is something wrong?" Jiang Hai's memory flashed—she was the young woman he had met before entering the mountains. He had given her his number, but she'd never called. He had assumed it was a one-night encounter and hadn't reached out again.
"Well… a bunch of scoundrels came to the shop where I work. One of them was a little Indian girl. She kept saying she was looking for Jiang Hai from Winthrop. They claimed to know you and said they could take her to you. I was worried she meant you, so I called."
Jiang Hai's eyes narrowed. A little Indian girl? Could it be Tarak—the one who had once shared his bed? She should still be in the mountains. Why had she appeared here?
"I don't know her name," Xia Yuan continued, "but she looked like she had just walked out of the mountains. And those men—they're not good people. If you know her, you'd better do something."
Xia Yuan lived near the Appalachian Mountains, a chaotic and lawless area. If she said the men were bad news, they most likely were. Jiang Hai's mind raced. If it really was Tarak, why had she come out? Why hadn't she called him?
No matter the questions, he couldn't ignore this.
"Wait there. I'll come right now."
He hung up, rushed back to his villa, and found Galina practicing kicks on the patio.
"Galina, come with me. Bring your weapons."
Though curious, Galina quickly showered, changed into fitted clothes, and returned with two pistols. Jiang Hai changed as well, then they set off in the Tesla—his war shield still unrepaired.
He phoned Qi Jie, letting them know he might not be back that night. With Galina by his side, he wasn't worried about their safety.
Meanwhile, in a shabby room in Xia Yuan's town, four thugs played cards. Nearby, Tarak sat bound and gagged, her terrified eyes wide.
If Jiang Hai had been there, he would have recognized her immediately.
The men, however, only chuckled at her fear before turning back to their game.
…
[The tension builds as Tarak's captors scheme, Izo Edis becomes involved, and Jiang Hai and Galina arrive in town. The confrontation escalates, leading to a violent encounter where Jiang Hai shoots one of the men and rescues Tarak.]
To be continued.